


Californication

by DeuxExMachina



Category: Actor RPF, True Blood RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 02:37:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4729556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeuxExMachina/pseuds/DeuxExMachina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Corinne Moore is brand new to LA and the acting business, ready to start fresh in a new and exciting life. Alexander Skarsgard is a seasoned acting veteran fascinated by the new girl on set. Can Corinne escape the past that haunts her and the new city that wants to swallow her up? Can Alex escape the whirlwind with his heart intact? Can either make it through all the love and lies in LA?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She was lost. After twenty minutes of wandering around the seemingly endless Warner Bros lot, Corinne could safely say she was well and truly lost. At first she had calmed herself with platitudes, the lot couldn't possibly be that big and she was about an hour early for call time. The deeper she found herself wandering, the more odd looking sets she passed, the more panicked she became. She had followed her agents directions to a T, at least she thought she had. Once she had entered the lot, silently gleeful as she gave her name at the gate and the guard checked her off on the list, she had taken a left a right then a left at the water tower. Or was it supposed to be a right a left and then another right at building A? Fuck, she couldn't remember and she couldn't be late. This was her first day. Not just her first day on set but her literal first day ever. She had never even set foot on a studio lot let alone starred in anything being filmed there. She had never even been on the tours, having only been in California for three weeks now. This was going to be her big break, if she could ever find where ever the hell it was she was supposed to be filming.

"Shit." She let it out like a sigh as she studied her surroundings. She could call her Agent, get her on the phone and have her walk her through the directions for the tenth time, but that wouldn't end well. It would probably end in another lecture about learning to focus and stop being so amazed by her surroundings. Maura, her forties something agent with big fake breasts and a forehead that was so full of botox it would probably never move again, would lecture her to no end about how she was in Hollywood now and she would have to adapt, have to lose her sense of wonder and buckle down already if she wanted to be a big star. Corrine would spend the rest of the day worried about every move she made and that wasn't what she needed on her first day. So she tried to retrace her steps. She still had half an hour to get in and get settled, that was plenty of time to find her bearings and make her way onto the set. Gripping her well read copy of the script to her chest she wandered aimlessly in what she assumed was the right direction. There were so many people bussiling about it was amazing. Each one seemed to be on some important mission, each one far better prepared than she was as she nervously meandered around the rushing figures. She felt close to tears like a kid who lost that parent at the supermarket, where was this stupid set already? Why hadn't she paid closer attention when Maura had walked her through this? Probably because her thoughts had been elsewhere like they usually were. She had probably been day dreaming about how awesome the cast would be and how easily she would fit in with them. Maybe she had been rehearsing how she would introduce herself or the close rapport she would have with the cast and crew. Or she was mentally panicking about having all of her lines memorized in a little under a week since she had been added to the production so late in the game. Her mind could have been anywhere else, it had a tendency to wander just as it was doing then. It could lead her into the strangest places, like right into the tall blonde woman she hadn't been aware was standing right in front of her.

"Oh my God I am so sorry!" Corrine winced, dropping the papers from her hand as the woman turned to face her assailant. She would have recognized that face anywhere, the blue eyes, pale perfect skin, and waves of blonde hair were wholly familiar to Corrinne. She had watched True Blood enough times to recognize Kristen Bauer Van Straten even without all of the vampire makeup. She wore jeans and a white t-shirt, an outfit unlike anything her character would have worn.

"Its ok really." Kristen smiled, her teeth were a perfect pearly white just like everyone else's in LA. She leaned down graciously, gathering Corrine's scattered papers with well manicured fingers. "Accidents happen."

"Seriously, I'm so sorry I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going." Corrine kneeled down to meet her, taking the dog eared script and clutching it back to her chest like a security blanket. "I'm really sorry."

"You're on set with us?" Kristen stood, extending a hand to help Corrine up as well. "You're part of the new cast?"

"Yeah." She beamed then, just as she had every time she was able to tell someone she was actually working on True Blood. THE True Blood, the show she had been salivating over for years in her tiny New York apartment. The one none of her friends had believed she stood a chance for when she had told them her lucky story. The same one she was going to be running late for if she didn't find the damn set already. "I just got cast a few weeks ago, I'm playing Freyda."

"Oh yeah, I heard they finally cast her." Kristen smiled a genuine smile at her, looking the tiny auburn haired girl over quickly. "Congrats."

"Thanks." Corrine laughed nervously, running a hand through her freshly dyed locks. "This is my first time on a set. I have no idea where I'm supposed to be going."

"Seriously?" Kristen tugged her arm gently, pulling her in the direction of a set of concrete warehouses to their left. "Well relax we don't bite...well except on camera. And I'm sure you'll do just fine, we were all first timers once." She followed Kristen mutely, the butterflies in her stomach a whirlwind of wing flapping as they neared the warehouse she could only assume was the set she had been looking for. There was a flourish of people racing about, men carrying microphones and lights and all with headsets strapped to their ears. Kristen bobbed and weaved expertly between them, stopping at the warehouse door to smile over her shoulder at Corrine. "Welcome to Bon Temp honey." Corrine couldn't believe her eyes as they made their way inside. It really was Bon Temp. There was the inside of Merlotte's, the bar and pool tables all set and ready to go. There was Sookie's house set pieces in a back corner of the room. Then there was the Pièce de résistance, Fangtasia, where she would be making her small screen debut. There were the bright red walls and leather chairs, the set empty all waiting for her to walk onto. She had never been so nervous in all her life, she felt almost swallowed up by it then. She was so caught up in site seeing, so caught in the rush of butterfly wings in her stomach that she hadn't even noticed the people hurrying up beside her.

"Are you Corrine Moore?" There was an older woman in front of her, the ubiquitous headset strapped to her face and a clipboard in her hands. She was staring at Corrine expectantly, tapping a pen against paper as she waited.

"Yes."

"We've gotta get you into makeup." The woman grabbed her arm. People in LA sure were hands on compared to where she was from. "They moved your scene up since Anna wasn't feeling well this morning." The woman was whisking her away, only leaving her enough time to glance over her shoulder and offer a quick wave to Kristen as they headed towards a back room in the vast insides of the warehouse. There were so many people doing so many thing at once it was overwhelming. She barely had time to catch her breath let alone realize what had been said to her. Her scene had been moved up? She was shooting first?! The butterflies in her stomach had been swallowed up to make room for the pit her stomach had just dropped into. First. She was shooting first. Dear God, she was shooting first thing today. She hadn't imagined that at all. She had imagined walking in, touring the set, meeting the cast and crew, having a leisurely time in wardrobe, then working her way into her scenes for the day. The way that the woman with the headpiece was practically pulling her arm out of socket told her that wasn't how this day was going to go. "Lily, your Freyda is here!" Headset practically threw her in the door of the makeup room before rushing out herself.

There was a woman in front of her she could only assume was Lily. Bright pink hair, overly fashionable clothes, and an empty chair waiting in front of her. The room was brightly lit, huge mirrors on the walls, racks of costumes, and endless tubes of make up and brushes lining the counter. There were three other chairs in the room, one empty, one occupied by a wide male back she barely had time to glance out as Lily was upon her. "Oh my God, you are gorgeous!" The bubbly voice spilling out of the tiny pink haired makeup artist as she gripped Corrine's shocked face between her cosmetic speckled hands. "Its rare we get one in here who is so naturally pretty." There was that hands on thing again, people in California just seemed to put their hands right on you, a stark difference from the people in New York she had grown up with. Before arriving three weeks ago she couldn't even remember the last time a stranger had touched her. Yet here she was, the woman's hands rubbing against her high cheekbones and chiseled jaw as if they had been life long friends.

"Thanks...." She was thrust into the leather makeup chair before she even knew it, a black cape fastened around her throat and even brighter lights shone in her face. Lily studied her closely, grabbing makeup brushes and pots of concealer from the counter.

"Ok." She nodded her pink head of hair, a bright smile across her pierced lip as she eyed Corrine's face. "You're supposed to be super old school vampire so we are gonna go with some really classic makeup here. Classic lines, not a ton of it, pale pale pale of course but not over the top. Then of course you're the Queen of Oklahoma so you're gonna have some big hair to boot but that's Kyra's territory."

"Who is Kyra?"

"Your's truly!" The hairdresser called from the other side of the room where she worked furiously on the man in her chair. "Don't worry I do good work." Her smile was just as wide as everyone else's had been so far. They all seemed friendly enough, but it was doing nothing for her nerves. She felt literally like a fish out of water, short of breath and desperate to find her way back home just then.

"You okay honey?" Lily's chipper voice pulling her from her daze. "You went a little pale there and I haven't even put the concealer on yet."

"Oh sorry, just nervous." She plastered a smile onto her lips, fighting back the urge to hyperventilate as she watched Lily dip sponges in pots of makeup then press them to her face. She could hear the snick snack of scissors behind her and the loud peels of laughter from the hairdresser in the otherwise quiet room. "This is my first time on a set." She regretted saying the words the second they had left her lips. She could see the seated man's head snap up almost immediately.

"Seriously?" He asked in disbelief as Kyra pushed his head back down. She hadn't realized the stranger had been eavesdropping or she would have kept her voice lower.

"Yeah seriously." She called to him, watching the way the muscles in his neck jerked back and forth at the hairdressers ministrations. "This is my first project."

"Ooooh we have a virgin on our hands here." Lily laughed, swiping powder against Corrinne's already alabaster skin. She was efficient that was for sure, nearly finished with the makeup in a few short minutes.

"Don't worry Alex will be gentle. Isn't that right Alex?" Kyra nudged the man seated in her chair, letting him lift his blonde head once more. Corrine inhaled sharply, her mind finally catching up with the information around her as Alexander Skarsgard raised his eyes to meet hers in the mirror. They were icy blue, just like on the show, but softer than on camera. "I'd come over and introduce myself but Kyra here has sharp objects in her hands and if I mess up this haircut she won't exactly hesitate to use them on me."

"Its nice to meet you." Corrinne smiled dumbly in the mirror as Lily went about patting makeup onto her face. She couldn't believe it, she had just met Alexander Skarsgard, viking sex god, and he had smiled at her so sweetly she could have swooned were it not for the chair beneath her. And Good God she was about to be on camera with him. Was this real life? Or was this all some elaborate dream she was about to wake up from. The pinch of tweezers against her eyebrows assured her this was not a dream and her mouth went dry from anxiousness.

"You've seriously never worked on anything else?" Alex's voice called to her again. She could hear the tiny bit of his Swedish accent working its way into his words as he studied her face mirror to mirror. "You look familiar."

"I've done a few ad campaigns before." She could see him studying her still as she tried to do the same. He already had his makeup on, the full vampire white and red rimmed eyes already in place. He looked even more gorgeous in person, which she hadn't ever imagined was possible. "Some small time stuff for H&M but I've never acted."

"Oh honey you are a woman." Lily laughed, patting the final touches of blood red lipstick against Corrine's full pout. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she nearly gasped. Her skin was vampire pale. Lily had lined her eyes with dramatic Kohl black, making her green orbs dance out from beneath the long fake lashes that were above them. She hardly recognized herself. A week ago she had been a strawberry blonde who barely even put on lip gloss. Now she was auburn haired, almost purple, with thick smokey eyes and blood red lips. It was just one more change in her ever adaptive life. "You've done a lot of acting over the years."

"All right that my cue to get out of here." Alex laughed as Kyra pulled the cape from around his neck in one quick flourish. Corrine watched through the mirror as he stood slowly. He was taller than the camera let on, taller than the six four his bio had made him out to be and more muscular with just a black tank top framing his chest. She was so caught up in the way the muscles in his arms moved she hadn't noticed he was coming towards her until his large hands rested against the back of her chair. "That's a big part you're playing for a first timer, you must be pretty talented if they signed you on so quickly." The reflection of his steel blue eyes meeting her green as he leaned his lanky frame down closer to hers. "So I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you don't have anything to be nervous about." Alexander fucking Skarsgard was giving her a pep talk. He nodded at her slowly, not breaking eye contact for even a second as Lily shooed him with her tattooed hands.

"She'll never have a chance to prove you right if you don't get out of here." Alex put his hands up in defense to the tiny makeup artist. "She still has hair and wardrobe to get to."

"Alright Alright." His laugh was a throaty low rumble in his chest as he stepped out of the door. "Corinne I'll see you on set. You'll be great."

"So are you." She said it instinctively, kicking herself the second the words slipped out of her mouth. Maybe he hadn't heard her. He had been halfway out of the door, maybe it had shut before she had said it. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she mentally kicked herself as Kyra stepped up behind her, scissors in hand. "I can't believe I just said that."

"You're gonna have to get over the nerves girlie." She giggled, running well practices hands through Corrine's soft red waves of hair. "You two are gonna have to get pretty up close and personal in some of these scenes...gonna be hard to get your lines out if you can't keep your tongue from hanging out of your mouth."

"That obvious?" Corrine was hoping for a sinkhole then. Or an earth quake, anything to swallow her up and help her disappear just then. Her first day on set and already she was acting like a besotted school girl. It was unprofessional and embarrassing, and against all the rules Maura had all but beaten into her brain. No drugs, no running late for call times, no diva behavior, and above all else no fraternizing with her co stars. Not this early in the game, not with everything riding on this.

"It's ok." Kyra reassured her, going to work on her hair like the expert she was. "He has that effect on everyone at first. You'll get used to it."

***

Her first day hadn't been a total disaster. She had missed her mark at first, standing right in front of Kristen instead of on the x off to the side the crew had taped off for her. She had overshot her entrance, stumbling in the stilettos wardrobe had provided for her. Then she had nervously flubbed a line when Alex's character Eric introduced himself for the first time. Kyra had been right, she would have to get over those nerves. All in all though, it hadn't been horrible. Simple mistakes unseasoned actors made their first time on camera. Kristen had offered her a few pointers in between scene resets and the crew had been friendly enough about her jitters. No one seemed too annoyed and she had all but gotten the hang of it by the end of her scenes.

"You're a natural kid." The director clapped a hand down onto her costumed shoulder as she stepped off set. It was strange moving from one world to the other, deeply immersed in Fangtasia only to walk off camera and find herself among cameras, lighting, and crew clicking about on cell phones. "Casting was right about you."

"Thank you so much." She was exhausted but relieved. Her first day was over and the imaginary disasters she had envisioned were avoided. She couldn't wait to call her friends back home and gush about her big break. Right after she got out of all of this ridiculous makeup and these too high heels. Strolling towards hair and makeup she caught sight of Alex and Kristen mingling at the door.

"So how was your first day?" Kristen looked so different in her stage makeup and costume. The dramatic eyeliner, straight blonde hair, and latex dress expertly transforming her into Pam. The same could be said about Alex. The endless layers of powder caked on his face matched her own, his body framed in all black cotton and leather.

"Good. I think." Corrine sighed, happy and exhausted. She had just filmed her first television episode ever, for HBO no less, and here she was chatting with the established stars. Life couldn't be more of a a dream than it was just then.

"I told you." Alex smiled, playfully tugging on one of the curls Kyra had set for her. "You were great." 

"Thank you." Corrine was so lost in the blue ocean of his eyes she had all but forgotten about Kristen standing beside them.

"I would never have guessed you hadn't acted before." She offered, shaking Corrine from her trance. "I've seen actors who have been in fifty movies that couldn't act as naturally as you."

"I don't think I was that good." She faltered under the compliments, she always did. She never knew how to take praise, a trait that made her amateur status all the more evident. "I missed my cues. Plus I almost took out the entire set when I tripped. I'm not used to the heels."

"How long have you been in LA?" Kristen asked, not missing the blush that had risen on Corrine's cheeks despite the pounds of makeup covering them.

"About three weeks now." Corrine giggled nervously at their shocked faces. She was beginning to get used to that look. "I'm from New York originally."

"Holy shit you are new to all of this." Alex laughed ruefully, shaking his blonde head in disbelief. Three weeks was nothing. He could barely even remember his first three weeks in LA, they were such a whirlwind all those years ago. No wonder she had been so nervous. Her first set, her first role, all amidst her first time in this new city. It was a lot for anyone to take in, especially as gracefully as she had.

"Well its settled then." Kristen nodded in satisfaction. "You're coming to lunch with us."

"Oh I don't know.." She was ready to make an excuse. About how her feet hurt, how tired she was, how she wanted to get home and check in with everyone back home. She just couldn't think of one fast enough to keep up with Kristen.

"I insist. We insist." She said, nodding to Alex whose smiled beamed to match hers. They were like a pair of blonde beautiful Cheshire Cats with those grins.

"We can talk business and fill you in on all the important set stuff." Alex offered, already ushering her back into hair and makeup, and obviously not taking no for an answer. "Then you can tell us all about yourself and what brought you here only three weeks ago."

"Think of us as your LA welcome committee." Kristen nodded, handing her off to Lily for makeup removal. They were so insistent she didn't have the heart to say no, no matter how drained she already was. Besides, wasn't this what she had dreamed about. An awesome cast and an easy rapport. Granted when she had dreamed about Alexander Skarsgard it had not been lunch they were having. "We'll meet you outside in twenty."

"Okay." Corrine nodded, this time her face the one covered in disbelief. "I'll see you both then."


	2. 2

Corinne had been nervous about this lunch for more reasons than the fear of being caught staring at her coworkers. Kristen and Alex had long been established in LA. They had more money in their bank account in the past year than she had made in ten. She could only imagine the high end restaurants and cafes they must have had in mind, and seeing Alex's car did not put her at any more ease. Corinne didn't even own a car, it wasn't really a necessity in New York, and here she was climbing into Alex's pristine Audi. She could have died right then and there, she even went so far as to pinch herself to make sure she already hadn't. This was unreal and unlike anything she had expected. The car was immaculate. The leather interior unscathed by any scratches or stray crumbs from eating inside of it and there certainly weren't soda bottles lining the backseat like she had seen in many of her friends cars.

"We're going to a sandwich place I like. It's not far from here." Alex pulled a black baseball cap from the backseat and slipped it on along with a pair of dark black aviators. "I hope that's okay."  


"That's fine." Corinne placed her hands in her lap delicately as Kristen leaned forward from the backseat.

"So where have you been in your three weeks here?"

"My agents office mostly." She laughed as Alex maneuvered the car through the surprisingly calm streets of LA. "I'm staying with a friend of mine so I've mainly just been hanging out with him and going to meetings to get ready for the show."

"You poor thing." Kristen sighed knowingly. She really was so different from the character she played. Her face was brighter without all the layers of makeup and her clothes were cool and casual without being showy. It was the attitude difference that struck Corinne the most. Kristen made such a convincing bitch on TV that it was hard to picture her being so sweet in person. "Well that's going to change. If you're going to be here for months and months you might as well get out and explore."

"Where does your friend live?" Alex asked, sunglasses pushed firmly against his nose and hat pulled down as far as was visibly possible. If he was going for incognito he was failing miserably. Sure he had changed out of the leather for a more forgiving jeans and t shirt combo, but the man was a chiseled six foot four supermodel driving a flashy silver sports car. He wasn't exactly hiding.

"Highland Park." She offered nervously. It wasn't the Hollywood Hills but it was what she and her aspiring musician roommate could afford. It was certainly a far cry from the places she was sure they were living.

"Not a bad drive." Alex remarked, gripping the steering wheel in his large hands.

"Oh I don't drive." She blushed again at their aghast faces. She seemed to be full of never ending surprises for them. "I'm from Brooklyn, I never needed to." Corrinne bit her thumb nail nervously, watching the passing city scape outside the windows. "Lots of people in New York don't drive."

"I love New York." Kristen chirped from the backseat as Alex turned into the parking lot of their destination. The restaurant wasn't overly busy, a few tables outside were vacant and ready for them as Alex parked the Audi out front.

"Me too." Corinne echoed, undoing her seat belt and extracting herself from the car. She didn't understand how someone Alex's height could possibly be comfortable in such a short car but he didn't seem to mind as he stepped out with Kristen at his heels. They were seated quickly, Alex apparently a regular at the restaurant. She ordered a simple salad, pleased to see that it was well withing her price range, and settled in to wait for their food.

"You don't have much of an accent considering you're from Brooklyn." Alex observed, glancing over his sunglasses at her. His eyes really were like two icebergs, cool and blue and sharp somehow. She could stare at them forever, glamored like one of the characters on the show, but he pushed his sunglasses back up quickly and shook her from her thoughts.

"You don't have much of an accent considering you're from Sweden."

"Touche." He nodded, laughing as he did. She still couldn't believe she was having lunch with Kristen and Alex. If someone had told her one month ago that she would be on the other side of the country lunching with movie stars she would have laughed in their face. But here she was, not only sitting smack dab in the middle of two of her favorite actors, but able to count herself among their peers.

"What brought you to LA?" Kristen asked, leaning back in her seat. "I mean how did you manage to get the role so quickly."

"Lucky break honestly." Corinne shrugged. She couldn't give them the full story, at least not yet. She couldn't tell them about the strange series of events that had lead her here. They probably wouldn't have believed her anyway, none of her friends had when she had told them. She couldn't tell them about her ex agent and subsequent ex boyfriend Cooper. She couldn't tell them about the ever shortening leash he had kept her on or about the pile of missed modeling projects to her name. She couldn't tell them about one door opening just as another closed, about being dropped by the agency at Coopers insistence or the meltdown in the office. How could she explain being "discovered" in the midst of a crying jag in the elevator after? So she gave the redacted story, the same one she had been giving since her friends disbelief. "I was let go by my old agency. On my way out of the building I get in the elevator and there is this guy there, a casting agent. He said he was from the show and he gave me his card."

"Damn that is lucky."

"Yeah." Corrinne bit her lip nervously. "I called him, he set up an audition and.... I guess they liked me. They called me back almost immediately."

"Christ I had to wait three months before they called me back." Kristen laughed as the waiter brought them their food. "Then you just packed up and moved out here?

"Yeah." She nodded slowly. It was strange to hear her story so succinctly wrapped up. There had been more to it than that. There had been the hesitant congratulations from her parents. Her mother had called her back no less than five times when she told her about the move. There had been the fight with her landlord in the posh new apartment about being let out of her lease. The quick selling off of everything she owned and the calls to any friends she still had out in LA to find a couch to crash on in the interim. There had been a few sleepless nights of dry heaves the closer the move came. Then the obsessive reading and re-reading of the script in her by then empty apartment. The tearful goodbye to the only city she had ever really known. Followed by a silent farewell to the girl she had been. She hadn't just packed up and moved. She had started over. Completely. "That's pretty much it."

"No boyfriend to leave behind?" Alex asked causally, not even looking up from his food as he waited for her answer. "Or girlfriend, whatever your thing is." She could have laughed at the absurdity of the question. There was no man in her life, save the roommate, and he certainly didn't count. There hadn't been a man in her life in over a year. Not since Cooper. Not since their more than messy breakup over twelve months ago, She had only just started picking up the pieces and she certainly hadn't been looking for anyone else.

"No," Corrinne shook her head quickly, grabbing for her drink as if to wash a bad taste out of her mouth. She tried had to swallow the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat she she said it, "No boyfriend."

"Interesting." He said it so low only Kristen heard him, a knowing smirk spread across her face. She knew the glances he had been stealing at the new girl on set had been more than curiosity. She could tell by the ease in which he agreed to come on this lunch and the way he so quickly teased that there was something there. Alex wasn't what one would call 'easy to know'. He was friendly enough, affable to a fault, but there was a distance there. A gap between the public persona and the man deep down. Alex was a secret garden that few would ever have access to. It took time for him to warm up to someone, it had taken her months to gain his trust. But once you were in, once you had his full trust, it was almost impossible to break it. He let you see his goofy side, so unlike the cool chiseled sex god the magazines made him out to be. He allowed you into his circle of lifelong friends and seemingly endless family. He shared his passion, for music, for cooking, for the goddamned soccer team Hammerby he prattled on about endlessly. He let you into his heart and it took a grave betrayal to cast you out. Even then, maybe he wouldn't. He was too forgiving that Alex of hers. Once he had his heart set on something all of his senses seemed to go out of the window. Kristen had seen it once before, the skinny blonde actress she never understood his attraction to. Alex didn't trust easy but once you earned it he trusted you with everything. His heart, his life, his secrets, and the tiny endless quirks she had learned about him over the seven years they had worked so closely together. Which is how she had him figured out then. She had come to know the Swede well over the years. Came to know his tells like a poker player. The casual disinterested interest. The sideways glances. The sudden interest in a strangers back story. He certainly didn't take this kind of interest in her. Nor Deborah or even in Amelia. He hadn't asked this many questions or taken this much interest in anyone she had seen, not even his current paramour. She had only heard a few short passing mentions of the model "girlfriend" and he definitely didn't have that look in his eyes when he did bring her up. No, this was more than being a welcoming co-worker. This was far more. She knew him too well at this point to fall for that. She was giddy with her discovery. It was about time he got over his heartache and away from the distraction of the casual flings he had been passing through. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth any more than her friends could stifle the strange looks they shot her in return.

"Sorry, just remembered something Rutina said." She smiled a little too widely. "Anyway, I just think that's ridiculous. You're gorgeous. How are you single?"

"Its kind of a long story." And one Corrinne obviously didn't want to get into. It would have taken a blind person to miss the sudden way her spine went rigid at the question. Panic flashed bright behind her eyes for a second, a nano second before returning to their usual calm hazel. She didn't want to talk about why she was single, about why she hadn't so much as touched a man in over a year. She didn't want to tell it, not again, not then, not on her first day, and not ever if she truly had her way. She didn't want to think about Cooper let alone discuss him with anyone else. She had spent the last year trying to forget him. She had spent months trying to get past what he had done, to get over what he had done to her. She had moved twice, a new apartment with more bolts on the doors. When that failed, a building with a doorman to keep him out. This final move to LA couldn't have been a more welcome escape, an entire country between them. It wasn't anything she wanted to share, wasn't anything she felt she could share. So few people in her life knew as it was and she wanted to keep it that way. The wounds were hers to nurse and she didn't want to ruin the day. Not today. Not her first good day here.

"Enough said." Kristen nodded, a silent knowing nod and a wave of her hand like some magic spell of forget cast upon them all. Corrinne could have hugged her then had it not been so awkward. "So I heard you say you did some modeling before?"

"Yeah a few ads for H&M...." She answered uncomfortably. It was hard to talk about her past when she was trying so hard to forget it. She glanced around her for a distraction, anything to keep the topic off of herself. She looked to the couple two tables over, obviously enamored with each other as they sat hand in hand. She looked to the waiters huddled around secretly counting out tips. Her eyes scanned over the cars on the street across from them, almost missing the curious men in the white suburban. Almost. Her eyes locked onto the drivers seat, the man in the hat with the expensive camera and the telephoto lens hanging out of the window pointed squarely at them. "Are those cameras?" Alex's head snapped up so fast she was sure he would have whiplash after. His eyes followed her gaze across the street before shooting back to his plate of food.

"Dammit they don't ever quit." His voice a low growl just like on TV as he motioned to the huddled group of waiters quickly.

"What's going on?" Corrinne watched as he whipped his wallet out, a stack of bills thrust into the waiters hand before he could even present the meal check. Alex pulled his hat down further as he pushed himself back from the table.

"They never fucking quit." He reiterated, pulling her chair out as she stood clumsily. Alex was in a hurry then, eyes locked squarely on the ground in front of him as he strode to the car both women in tow. Corrinne looked back as the photographers jumped from their car in hot pursuit. She was only dimly aware of the click of the cameras pointed at them as she tried in vain to keep up with Alex's wide stride. "Just keep your head down and don't say anything to them." He called over his shoulder to her. The paparazzi were nearly on them, calling their name as they ran.

"Alex! Alex! How was Stockholm?"  
"Alex how is your family?"  
"Kristen how is True Blood?"  
"Alex! Who is she?"  
"Kristen what is her name?"  
"Alex! Alex! Is this your girlfriend?! Are you dating? What about Eva? Alex who is she?!"

She shielded her eyes to the cameras as they clicked away mere inches from her face. She was surrounded then, a wall of large bodies and long cameras shoved in her face. When she tells her roommate about this later she will say there were fifty of them but it was more likely only ten or twelve. The smaller number didn't make it any less terrifying as she lost sight of her friends in front of them. The cameras clicked away as she froze in place, a circle of paparazzi surrounding her.

"What is your name?"  
"How did you and Alex Meet?"  
"Is he your boyfriend?"  
"How long have you been together?"  
"Tell us your name!"

They shouted the questions so fast she couldn't keep track of them, the constant click of shutters snapping every second.

"Corrine." She mumbled helplessly, her hands shielding her face as the bodies pressed in closer. She felt like she was suffocating, like the feeling you get out in the ocean when you are swept up in a wave. She gasped, willing the tears away as they continued to photograph her. She wanted to scream, wanted to claw at them and fight her way out, but she couldn't see how. She couldn't see anything except the endless flash of photos right in front of her face.

"Back up!" His voice was so firm and jarring it seemed to stop them in their tracks. "Back the fuck up!" He screamed once more, his voice like a sirens song urging her towards him. The photographers parted like the red sea as Alex shoved them to the sides. He had looked big before but he seemed gigantic to her then, his arms around her in a second as he pulled her through the throngs of photographers. "Just keep your eyes down." He whispered into her hair as he pulled her to his awaiting car. He practically threw her into the passengers seat and raced around to the other side, slamming his door and speeding off before she even knew it.

"What the hell was that?" Corrinne asked, gasping for breath.

"I told you not to talk to them." Alex grumbled as Kristen reached a comforting hand forward to grasp her shoulder. There were the tears that had been threatening to spill over. The panic turning into despair almost immediately as she realized the danger had passed. Alex bit his lip beside her, glancing her way softly.

"Is it always like that?" She asked as he nodded slowly from the drivers seat. "That's horrible."

"Welcome to my life." Alex grunted, flipping on the radio as a means to an end of the conversation. The car ride back to the studio was silent otherwise, quiet singers serenading them through the radio as they each lost themselves to their thoughts. Alex in his frustration, Kristen full of sympathy, and Corrinne in sudden despair. So much for a great first day.


	3. 3

His breathing was shaky, thick wheezed gasps for air each time his lips left hers. There was a slick sheen of sweat down the curve of his naked back as she wracked her nails along his spine. He gasped against her mouth in response, nipping at the bruised flesh of her lower lip as he did. He was thrusting out of rhythm atop her, his movements frantic and too rough but she couldn't bear to stop him. She would have bruises against her hip bones for days, a deep purple circle for each time their bodies had met. He tasted vaguely of mint as his tongue slipped past her teeth. Like a hint of toothpaste and Altoids but more so of the bitter syrupy mixture of fake blood pouring over his lips and onto her own. They had warned her about this stuff but she was still unprepared. Were it not for his face against hers, the camera would have caught her wincing at the taste and at the power of his body against hers. It would have caught her grimace as Alex raised his chest from her own, the chilled air away from his embrace doing nothing to cool her exposed skin. She had to fight the urge to cover up, she dug her nails deeper into his back to fight the need to throw her arms over her exposed breasts. It took everything she had not to try to hide herself from him and the camera. She sucked on her bottom lip the way he had a few short seconds ago, licking away the taste of their kisses and the bitterness of prop blood as he gazed down upon her. Their chests heaved in the same uneven rhythm as they lay entwined, gazing up at one another.

"Freyda..." He gasped it out, the name so new and foreign she was almost offended that he had said it then. His eyes bore into her own, the pupils so dilated she could barely make out the blue green of his iris as she studied him.

"Min kärlek." She breathed out her line like a pro, eliciting an almost unnoticeable chuckle from Alex. "Min Make." She practically purred, still finding it hard to sound anything but silly as she lisped her way around her newly fitted fangs.

"Cut!" The directors sharp cry breaking the spell holding them together. "Hold your places we need to reset the lighting. Something is off." Alex dropped his chest back to her own, a suddenly welcome weight on top of her. They were naked, nothing but the thin sheet of her modesty cloth separating them. Their skin stuck together, a mixture of sweat and prop blood mixing and melting under the harsh lighting. It was her second day on set, only her second time meeting him, and here they lay naked and entwined, panting rhythmically like post coital lovers as he leaned back against the prop bar they found themselves splayed on top of.

"Mind telling me what was so funny?" Corrine brushed an arrant curl out of her face as Alex giggled into her ear.

"Your Swedish is horrible."

"I'm sorry." She huffed, finally able to cross her arms across her bare chest. She had never been nude in front of so many people. The last man she had laid naked with had been Cooper and even then it had taken two months for her to work up the nerve. She gripped her breasts beneath her hands, not caring how ridiculously prudish she looked as Alex stretched, naked and glorious beside her. "Ive had about a week to learn it. The dialect coach told me I sounded 'authentic'"

"Take it from a Swede," He rolled to his side to face her, a smirk across his pouting blood covered lips. "Unless you are going for Russian prostitute trying to pick up a Swedish John, that is far from authentic."

She fought the urge to protest and gripped her breasts tighter as he relaxed completely unabashed beside her. "Maybe I need a new dialect coach."

"I'm always available to help." She only imagined his eyebrows arching up suggestively as he said it. It was only wishful thinking on her part as his tongue busied itself with the fake fangs in his mouth. He was being friendly, that she at least hadn't imagined. He was back to being upbeat and charming if not slightly goofy, a dramatic shift from the way they had parted the day before. He was so relaxed on set, so calm and laid back that it was hard for her to even imagine yesterday had happened. She could barely picture the man before her as the same one who had screamed at photographers for her. Trying to stretch out the crick in her neck without exposing anymore of her creamy flesh to the crew, she wriggled against his muscular arms. It was hard to think of those as the same that had thrust her into his car, hard to imagine this easy rapport was anything like the snapping and snarling of yesterday. For a new actress it was hard to process, the line between the public and the private was so stark it was jarring. "And I won't charge you and an arm and a leg."

"Thanks." She smiled softly, finding it almost impossible to grin with the prosthetic in her mouth and the blood drying about her lips. Alex returned the sloppy grin, his tired eyes still managing to beam out beneath all of the makeup. They had both spent over an hour in the makeup chair, caked up and painted on just to smear it all over each others bodies a few short moments after. Corrine could see her mascara smeared against his shoulder from where she had burrowed her face at the beginning of the scene. The remnants of her lipstick was smashed against his lips and cheeks and his concealer was caked under her nails. They were a sticky surreal mess and they still had three pages of dialogue to go. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You know..." Alex began, taking a deep breath as if urging himself on. They were tangled together on top of the "bar" at Fangtasia. There was barely enough room for both of them, half her body draped atop him just to ensure they didn't fall. His hand gripped her naked hip, an unconscious almost gentlemanly attempt to keep her from falling. "If you ever..."

"All right, places everybody!" The call of the director breaking their conversation and her train of thought as she scrambled back into position. Alex sighed heavily, straddling her hips again. She tried like hell not to look between her legs, willed herself not to peek at the washboard cut of his abs or the chiseled v at the bottom of his stomach urging her eyes on. She had promised to keep her eyes to herself, promised silently that she would not peek in the hopes that everyone on set would return the favor. For someone in her profession she was acutely insecure. She had been a self conscious model, shrinking and hiding behind the couture. At least then she had clothes to hide behind, now all she had was a thin strip of nylon pressed tight against her most intimate of areas. She was putting on the act of a lifetime just pretending she was comfortable, her nerves a mess since she had stepped out of the safety of the makeup chair and out of her robe. Every inch of her was on display, from the tiny freckles splattered across her shoulders to the thin white scars at the base of her spine. To his credit Alex had been wholly professional, keeping his eyes on her face and his hands above the equator unless otherwise called for. He locked his thighs around her as the camera ad mics swooped back in above them.

"If you ever want to just...." Alex sighed again, his voice a whisper against her ear as the crew readied themselves around them. The counter of the bar was cold and hard against her back, Alex's naked skin a burning hot contrast as he dropped his weight back on top of her. "I mean if you ever wanted to go over lines or work on your horrible Swedish...I'm available." He drew out the word available, watching her with intent eyes as she sifted beneath him. He must have felt her heart pounding, their bodies as close as they were. He must have felt the tremble of her flesh as he gripped her hip again, pulling her leg around his waist in one effortless motion.

"I might just take you up on that." She mouthed against his ear, blinking back her nerves and breathing back in the character as they awaited their cue. It was the way he had said available that made her heart flutter in her chest. "Are you free tonight?" Available. Both a statement and an invitation.

***  
Corrine had never dressed so quickly in all of her life. The second they had yelled cut she practically pushed Alex off of her and raced to replace her robe. She had almost sprinted back to the makeup chair, anxious to get the sticky sweet mixture of prop blood, saliva, and sweat off of her body. She only had a few hours before they were to meet again, seven thirty at a bar downtown. She had so much to do before then, most of all remove all of this awful stage makeup. Her back ached, a permanent crick from being thrust against the bar top over and over again. Her hips were bruised to match her lips, the skin of her mouth raw from bite marks and Alex's stubble. She had never been kissed so furiously in her life, and certainly never for pretend or for the cameras. Her heart ached at the thought of it, her first intimate moment in over a year and it was all pretend. She still wasn't sure how to handle that. It was only her second day and she was unsure of what to make of her less than professional feelings. So she did what she did best, she ignored them. Pretended them away and focused on other things. She perched herself in the chair, looking over her makeup splotched face in the mirror as Lily aided in its removal.

"That was hot." The pink haired girl laughed, rubbing cold cream against Corrine's eyes. Her skin still buzzed in each spot Alex had kissed it. Her mind lost in a fog of emotions and too many racing thoughts to keep track of. So far her television career had been one long surreal experience after another. From the first meetings to the photographers to Alex's naked body perched atop her own in a room full of fully clothed people. It was a lot to take in, a lot to take on and adapt to. "You guys have some serious chemistry."

"Its just an act." She sighed heavily, brushing at her newly cleaned lips as Lily worked to remove the fangs from her teeth.

"Could have fooled me." Lily smiled, prying the caps free.

"And me." Kristen strode in, plopping herself down in the chair next to Corrine. "That wasn't all acting."

"Yes it was." Had her face betrayed her? Had they been able to pick up on the pitter patter of her heart the way she was sure Alex had. Had he put them up to this? Her cheeks flushed red again, the bright crimson spreading almost to her eyes as Kristen and Lily giggled around her.

"Its ok." Kristen out her hand up defensively, that million dollar smile wide across her cheeks. "If it makes you feel better I don't think it was just you who felt something up there."

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Corrine put her new found acting chops to good use as she pushed herself out of the chair. She still needed to replace her clothes, the terry cloth of the robe like a security blanket around her. "We were friendly but nothing more."

"Alex was never friendly enough to offer me private Swedish lessons." Kristen's laugh stopped her in her place as she spun around to face her.

"You heard that?"

"You guys are miked." Kristen and Lily nodded as if synchronized. She though this day couldn't have gotten any more awkward, but she had obviously been wrong. The mic had picked up their entire tentative conversation. "We heard him ask just like we heard you say yes." Great. Just what she needed. Her second day and already her co-workers knew her every move.

"Its strictly business." She searched desperately for her clothes on the rack, anything to distract her from the two women smirking at her back. "He's going to help me with the script."

"I'm just saying," Kristen's voice softened. "He and I have never gone for drinks to discuss a script. And as far as I know, neither has anyone else."

"Well Anna and Stephen used to have secret "script meetings"...." Lily graciously pulled out her discarded clothes for her, the one nice thing she had done all afternoon. "If you know what I mean."

"It's just business!" Corrine snapped, thankful she had worn a dress that day. She threw it on with lightning speed, trying like hell to escape the interrogation room that was makeup and wardrobe. She could see their skeptical smirking eyes staring back at her in the mirror as she slipped back into her shoes. She didn't have the time of patience for this, and she didn't need their prying eyes. The last thing she needed was the rumor of an onset romance to get out, no matter how badly some part of her didn't want it to just be a rumor. She smoothed out the front of her dress, grabbing her bag and heading for a quick exit. "Seriously. It's just business." She didn't know who she was trying to convince more, them or herself. She had only a few hours to get ready then get back across town. She would need almost all of that time just to calm her nerves now.

"Well then," Kristen called after her already retreating form. She simply couldn't get out of there fast enough. She had so much to do to get ready, so much to do to prepare herself. It was just business, at least that is what she kept reiterating, just business but that didn't mean she wouldn't want to look presentable. She sighed as Kristen called to her once more, just before she reached the exit. Just before she had made her escape, Kristen's words floated across the set and slapped her in the face. "Have fun getting down to 'business'."


	4. 4

Corrine had every intention of meeting Alex on time. Hell, she had meant to be early. She had meant to slip into the bar unnoticed, take her perch on a bar stool and collect her nerves with a stiff shot of tequila. She had meant to be cool, collected, and wholly unlike herself. But it hadn’t worked out that way. Life had other plans, as it usually did. First there had been the traffic all the way home. She had forgotten her key and had to summon her roommate Eli back with promises of attending his next show with a bevy of actress beauties in tow. That was followed by his endless irritating questions about the rush she was in.The slack jawed stare of disbelief when she had name dropped her escort for the night. The dismissive shake of his head and “sure babe” before he let her escape to a much needed shower and outfit change. His disbelief didn’t bother her. She was hardly sure she believed it herself. She wasn’t completely convinced this wasn’t some new cast member hazing or something of the like. It wasn’t that he doubted her that bothered her, she doubted herself most days. It was that he was making her late. Each second that ticked by was one less second she would have to sit at the bar and steel her nerves for the night. By the time she had showered, dressed, and done her makeup she was already bordering on late. So much for that drink. And so much for slipping in unnoticed.

By the time the taxi had deposited her in front of the bar it was already quarter til. The place was packed. It was vibrant and cool, a far cry from the dives she frequented back in Brooklyn and exactly what she expected Alex had in mind. The bar was full of people that looked like they had stepped right off the pages of Esquire or Rolling Stone. There were tall lanky half dressed women filling out much shorter dresses than she was. There were wannabee actors and models making pitches in dimly lit corners and waiters dropping stealthy head shots under execs menus. She shouldered her way through the throngs as gracefully as possibly, her hand clasping the hem of her dress desperately. It was far too short, but it was all she had. The black lace clung tight to her milky white skin like a glove, every curve accentuated, every perceived flaw on display. Corrinne sighed heavily. She shouldn’t have worried about the length of her gauzy black dress, Alex had seen all but a tiny glimpse of her naked form mere hours ago. But she demurred anyway, surveying the swarm around her in hopes of catching his tall blonde form. A mere scan of the room a reminder of how out of place she was in her years old ill fitting lace frock. She thanked God for the dim lights and the loud chatter around her. They were the only things covering up her bitten down nails and the sound of her heart thumping in her chest. She didn’t think she had ever been more nervous, was sure her heart would leap out of her throat at any moment.

She made it to the bar, unscathed and still intact but unsure of her surroundings. Where the hell was Alex? Had he stood her up? Had he left already? Had she been so late that he had just given up? You didn’t make a man like Alexander Skarsgard wait, not when you looked as out of place as she did. Not when there were fifty other more worthy women just waiting in the wings. She was ready to throw in the towel after only a quick scan. The bar was too packed, Amazonesque beauties surrounded the counter and blocked her view. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t stood a chance anyway. Maura was right, she should have just focused on doing a good job and kept her nose to the grindstone. Instead she stood awkwardly, inexplicably heartbroken and embarrassed in an unfamiliar bar downtown. What was she even doing here?

"Corrine!" She could barely make out her name over the music and bar chatter. She certainly couldn’t place where it was coming from. It wasn’t until Alex’s strong hand slid against the small of his back and they were face to face that she realized it was him.

"Alex." She let his name out like a gasp as he smiled down at her. He was clad a fitted black v neck and impossibly tight grey jeans. He looked gorgeous. Cool. Exactly how she wished she looked as she fidgeted in her tiny black dress again.

"I was beginning to think you stood me up." He smirked, a sweating beer clasped in his free hand, the other still against her spine holding her captive in his grasp. It took everything in her not to grab his drink from him, chug the bottle then order another. "I was afraid I had scared you off."

"What?" It sounded so ridiculous to her she laughed longer than she should have. "No. You didn’t scare me off…. just had a crazy afternoon."

"You look like you could use a drink." He was pushing them through the crowd and to the bar, that firm hand still pressed squarely against her back. Protective. Comforting. Doing nothing for her nerves. "What would you like?" Alex waved a finger and the bartender magically appeared. Apparently being a head taller than everyone at the bar had its perks.

"Tequila." Corinne ignored the impressed nod of the bartender, intent only on getting that shot of liquor and pretending Alex’s simple touch wasn’t already doing dangerous things to her body. She snatched the glass the second it hit the bar, downed it and signaled for another.

"My kinda woman." Alex smirked. "Wanna grab a table?" She wanted anything he wanted then. Too buzzed on the drinks and the company to care about much else. She let him lead her still, sidling into a corner booth with his knees knocking against hers in the process. The lights were dimmer and the space more intimate. She could make out the smell of his soap they were so close, his knees pressed against hers under the table. She tried to still her feet, the nervous toe tapping kept to a minimum as she nursed her tequila. Private. Hidden. Trapped under his gaze with nowhere to run and nothing to hide behind.

“Come here often?” She couldn’t fight her bemusement. She was smack dab in the middle of the city of angels. She had just left her dream job and was having drinks with a deliciously hot man in a bar downtown. If someone had told her a year ago this is where she would be right then, she would have laughed at them. Yet there she sat, lace pulled tight against her, Alex by her side. And he had asked her out no less. Business or not she was going to relish in this night like Cinderella counting down to midnight.

“No actually, this is a first for me.” He smiled, those ice blue eyes twinkling in the dim house lights. Maybe it was the tequila, that certainly could have had something to do with it. Maybe it was her foolish broken heart beating for the first time in over a year. Maybe it was the headiness of her surroundings, the excitement of being out. Maybe it was all of those things combined, but she could have sworn his eyes hadn’t left her. The bar was filled wall to wall with statuesque models whose proportions were a thing of envy. There were a smattering of actresses whose face she had seen on more than one show. There were even a few pop stars, more infamous than famous just spilling out of their dresses. But Corinne swore he hadn’t even looked at them once. His gaze was locked low, focused solely on her. Her in her gifted lace dress. Her with her chignon falling apart at the base of her dewy neck. Her with her bitten down nails and imitation pumps. His eyes never strayed once. “What about you?”

"Here?" She laughed, surveying the room again as if it was an absurd thought. "No. I don’t get out much. Remember?"

"Maybe we should change that." He smirked. She definitely caught that. The toothy glint of teeth behind his smile as he said it. "I mean…If this goes well."

"Not even through the first date and already planning another?" Where had that come from. That flirty laugh, that easy smile. That uncharacteristic banter. Had that been her? That must have been the tequila talking. She bit her lip to keep the words from spilling out. "Not that this is a date."

"No." Alex nodded, even with the lights dimmed she could see him blushing. Thrusting his naked, completely uncovered body against hers all afternoon hadn’t made him bat an eye. But this. This banter. The drink. This place. This night, and that dress, and her doe eyes hiding from him. That made him blush. He shook his head and winked at her "Strictly business."

"Strictly." She nodded, thankful for the other drink being placed in front of her as her empty glass was spirited away. "Just getting to know my co-worker."

"What do you want to know?" It was a dangerous question for him to ask. There was a lot she wanted to know. Like the way he looked when he woke up in the morning and what it felt like to kiss him off camera. She could feel the alcohol racing through her system. Her inhibitions were slipping away the more she eyed him.

"What’s your favorite band?"

"Ebba Grön" His Swedish was slipping out more and more. The accent mixing and merging with his practiced southern twang in a way she found addictive.

"Favorite movie?"

"Really? You can ask me anything and this is what you wanna know?" He laughed, shaking his head at the tiny auburn haired actress beside him. "Duck Soup. Ask me something more interesting?"

"Best day? Worst day?"

"What?" Alex cocked his eyebrow at her, tilting his blonde head to the side as he eyed her up and down. The bar was hot, she could feel the beads of sweat between her breasts as she sat perched across from him.

"What was the best day of your life? And what was the worst? No elaboration or explanation needed."

"Wow. That escalated quickly."

"You said more interesting…you don’t have to answer," Corrine toyed with the rim of her glass as she waited. "Not if you’re afraid to."

"I’m not afraid." She could see the muscles tense beneath his t shirt as he weighed his words. "I just need an example. You answer first."

"Best day?" That part was easy. It was recent. It was still fresh and happy and buzzed around her brain daily. "My first day on the job. I never thought I would make it this far. Hell, I never thought I would make it off the east coast." Alex smiled, beamed really, as she blushed despite herself.

"And the worst?"

"The day I lost my last job." She nodded, knowing full well he expected more of an explanation. He wasn’t going to get one. "Your turn Mr. Skarsgard."

"Mr.Skarsgard." He laughed, all six foot four of him leaning back into the booth, spilling onto the seats like some ungainly God. "Well Ms.Moore the worst day of my life was years ago. I lived in New York for a little while and…it wasn’t exactly my cuppa tea."

"Careful now. That’s my hometown."

Alex put his hands up defensively. “It wasn’t the city it was the circumstances… I had to get out of there. Moving day sucked…”

"Trust me I know all about that." The fleeing. The city that never sleeps was the best and worst place in the world when your heart was broken. "So what is your best day?"

"I don’t know…." There he was leaning in again, his voice a husky whisper. His mouth so close to her face she could smell the sweet heady notes of his drink and his mouthwash. "Could be this one."

A beat passed between them before she lost herself to laughter. The soft peals of her giggles matched by his own. “That was so cheesy. Does that actually work on anyone?”

"What can I say?" Alex smirked that infuriating smirk as he watched her. "The old Swedish charm is hard to resist."

"Speaking of which. If this is a business meeting, teach me something in Swedish." All nervousness had left her by then. Alex put her at ease in a way she hadn’t been in years. Just the feeling of being with him was calming her nerves. Safe. Protected. So warm and comfortable she had almost forgotten the entire bar around them. It was just them then. Not the actors but the people. Corinne and Alex and nothing else on mind except that night and the tiny solace of their covert conversation. "I mean if you’re going to be my dialect coach I have to be sure you’re the right man for the job right?"

"Me being from Stockholm didn’t sell you on my credentials?" Corinne shook her head, watching Alex squirm in his seat, his long legs pressed hot against her bare ones. "Ok…ummm.." He was cute when he was nervous. He bit his lip just as she had earlier that day. "Jag behöver du vet min svenska är perfekt"

"Jag behöver du vet min svenska är perfekt" She recited it, stumbling over the trill in the back of her throat but it was passable. "What does it mean?"

"My Swedish is perfect." Alex smirked. "Try this one: Alex är den största dialekt tränare någonsin”

“Alex är den största dialekt tränare någonsin” She stumbled over the foreign syllables, the cadence all wrong to her already too drunk tongue. But she managed through and managed another throaty laugh from her date. “I know who Alex is. What did you make me say about you?”

"Nothing." He shook his head, he was clearly enjoying this. Clearly enjoying the confusion and trepidation in her voice. Clearly enjoying the closeness too as he pressed his knee against hers beneath the table. “Just singing my praises.”

"Teach me something useful." Corinne nearly moaned, the tiny touch sending an electric charge through her body. It had been a long time since she had been this close to someone. So long since she had been able to relax. Years since she had set foot in a bar, especially into a bar with a man. She hadn’t been out in ages and she was certainly enjoying this. This foreign city, this foreign place, this foreign man sitting across from her. She could barely remember the last time a man had touched her outside of business. The small tap of Alex’s leg making it painfully clear it had been too long.

"Okay okay." Alex nodded, cleared his throat and scooted next to her, his leg sliding between hers as he did so. She could feel the heat of his thighs radiating against her own as he locked his eyes on hers. She couldn’t tell if it was the atmosphere or the drinks humming through her but she swore she could feel a spark between them. There was something there, something palpable as he pressed his body close to her own. His eyes drifted between her hazel gaze and her pouting lip. She could be misreading it, she was known to do that. Wishful thinking had a tendency to become over thinking. Still, she couldn’t stop her eyes from trailing to his lips anymore than she could stop the sigh from slipping out of her own as Alex leaned his face against her ear. His breath was hot, sending tingles all the way down to her toes as he whispered to her, "Vill du få ut av här?”

She could tell it was a question by the inflection and by that ever present arched eyebrow. He waited, his hand sliding to her bare knee in one long languid pet. He had her locked in his gaze like prey, trapped beneath his stare and by the long leg pinned between her own. Her mouth was dry, thirsty for more than just drinks and she licked her lips without thinking. “I don’t know what that means.” She barely got the words out before his mouth was on her. His lips captured her own just as his eyes had, the hand on her knee gripping, almost pulling her into him. His tongue pushed against her teeth, begging entrance as he deepened the kiss. She gripped at the front of his t-shirt just to have something to hold onto, the shock of the sudden intimacy and the ferocity of his kisses nearly slipping her from her seat. Alex fisted her locks, the messy bun coming untangled beneath his fingers as he nipped at her bottom lip. It had been a long time since Corinne had been kissed but she could say without a doubt she had never had a kiss like this. His muscles flexed beneath her hand as she clung onto him. There was some bass heavy song blasting through the speakers but she barely noticed it over the pounding of his heart beneath her hand and the rush of blood to her head. She dropped her palm to his leg, gripping at his muscular thigh as his long fingers toyed with the hem of her dress. His hand was hot against her bare skin, his fingers felt like flames as his tongue battled her own. She couldn’t breathe, she was literally suffocating against his mouth as he devoured her, somewhere far off in her mind she mused about what a beautiful way it was to go.

"Corinne." He practically growled her name as he pulled his swollen mouth from her own. His chest heaved beneath her fingers as he panted for air. "Vill du få ut av här?” He leaned in, softer now as he slowly untangled his hand from her hair and the leg from between her own. She felt cold and somehow empty without him as he pulled back to look at her. She was sure she was a fright. Her hair was hanging in loose sweaty tangles at the base of her neck and he had licked off any remnants of lipstick that had remained on her face. He sat, perfect and glowing , his body still shielding her from the rest of the bar and reality as he gazed down at her with wide eyes and dilated pupils. The blue of his eyes all but swallowed up in blackness as he stroked an errant hair back from her flushed cheeks. “It means do you wanna get out of here?”

She was too drunk on the drinks and his kisses to think of the consequences or the cameras that were probably lying in wait outside. She nodded dumbly, the only motion she could muster as he pressed his lips to her again. A soft trail of butterfly kisses from her lips to the nape of her naked neck and back to her ear. His breath was warm and tingly again, the words like music to her ears as he placed one last swollen kiss softly to her earlobe. “Yeah.” She finally mustered. She couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than to get out of that bar, to get out of the claustrophobia of prying eyes and the too humid air that filtered all around them. She felt like she was burning up, she needed to get out of there, needed to go with him, wherever he had in mind. She needed him, was desperate for his touch, for his attention, for whatever this night might bring. “Yeah lets get out of here.”

Alex nodded, locking eyes with her once again. His forehead pressed against hers as he struggled to regain his composure enough to ask her. “My place or yours?”


	5. 5

They had opted for his place, a giant house nestled high above the city and as far away from her nerves as she could hope to be. This was not where she had expected the night to end. She had hoped for some more flirting, some more of that toothy wide grin and maybe, if she wished hard enough, a kiss goodnight. She hadn't expected to end the night outside his Hollywood Hills mansion, her back slammed against his front door and his lips crushed against her own as he fumbled blindly for his keys. She definitely hadn't expected to ever find herself inside, thrust against the entry way table then spun to the couch in one fluid motion. The last place on earth she had ever expected to be was in his bed, a trail of discarded clothing leading the way like a wanton Hansel and Gretel. Yet there she was, perched amongst his pillows as he stalked her from the edge of the mattress.

His shirt had been lost at the entry way, the first item of clothing to go as Corinne had ripped it desperately from his skin in an animal like fury. His muscles shone despite the dim lighting and she could barely stop her hand from trembling as she ran her fingers against them. His chest was rock hard, his stomach even more so as she trailed her fingers down towards the belt at his waist. Her shoes had followed his shirt, kicked off in the hurried steps Alex pulled her through. She was shorter than him, noticeably more so as he arched down to join his mouth with hers once more. She could taste the beer against his kisses, the bitter tinge of it hanging on his tongue as it slid against her own.Next to go had been his tight grey jeans. Corinne prying the belt loose for him as he shimmied out of the too tight denim. His bare legs brushed against her own, his skin so hot it was unreal. It was almost enough to shake her from this reverie. Almost enough to jar her from this moment, bring her back to her senses and send her packing.

Almost.

If she let herself linger on it too long she knew she would bolt. If she considered the speed of things, the process, the sheer quickness in which she was willing to disrobe for him, that would be the end of it. She had never jumped into bed on the first date. It took weeks, even months for her to get comfortable, but here she was. Alex's hand trailing to the dress of her zipper just outside of his bedroom. If she thought about it anymore she would run. But she couldn't think of it then, couldn't think of much of anything outside of the feel of his bare chest beneath her hands and the strain of his barely concealed excitement pressed against her belly.

Her dress was next to last to go, Alex's adept fingers fumbling for only a second at the zipper before sliding it slowly down her back. She stepped back from him then, hesitant and suddenly unsure of herself. Her head buzzed about as much as her lips as she locked her eyes firmly on his. His pupils were huge, two dark dilated orbs staring back he regarded her. He looked drunk, more on her than on the drinks but buzzed all the same. If she waited, if she hesitated just one more second she just knew she would run. She stepped back once more, her bare feet padding against the floor and her back against his bedroom door as she shimmied the dress down her shoulders. There was no turning back now, no escape as the fabric pooled at her feet.

"Corinne." Alex practically purred as he took her in. The curve of her breasts barely concealed beneath the black lace of her bra. Her tiny matching panties suddenly didn't seem so ridiculous as he pushed her into his bedroom. The last place Corinne Moore could have ever imagined this night ending was in his bed, yet here she was. Being pressed against his pillows as he climbed atop her. His teeth against her neck as he bit territorially. Her hands clawed at his back just as they had earlier that day. The crescent moon of her nails embedded against his shoulders as he ground against her.

Her bra was the next to go. The straps slid from her shoulders as Alex nipped at the first swell of her breasts. She felt like she was on fire, like she was literally burning up with each swipe of his fingers as he unclasped the offending material and tore it from her body. "Knulla..." He grunted, obviously appreciative as he eyed her up and down. His hands were all over her again. Cupping her breasts, kneading them beneath his large palm as she arched into his touch. He pinched an already pert nipple between his calloused fingers before capturing it with his mouth. She gasped audibly, taken by surprise at the force of him and the effect that it had on her. The fire inside of her had spread, from the top of her head and straight down to her toes, it consumed her.

He consumed her.

Alex released her, pinching her taught pink nipple once more before continuing his descent downward. Each spot he touched was a shock of lighting, each trailed touch sending a jolt of electricity straight to her aching center. He raised his eyes to meet her own just as he brought his hand to her hips. His fingers toyed the band of her panties, waiting, for what she couldn't tell. An invitation? Some sign that this was what she wanted too? She moaned impatiently, grinding her hips into his unbelievably hard member. Alex let out a moan of his own, low and predatory like a tigers growl as he finally slid his hand into those little black panties.

"Oh God." She gasped as his fingers found her, sliding expertly against her core as she buried her face into his bare neck. This was moving too fast and too slow all at once. His fingers against her were maddening and all too sudden and exactly what she wanted all rolled into one. This wasn't her. She wasn't the kind of girl to hop into bed with a stranger. She had never been the kind of girl to spread for him, to grind against the prodding fingers desperately panting for more. Never the kind of girl to beg. But it was all she could do then to keep her senses about her. She begged him to move further, "Please" like a mantra dying on her lips. She could feel Alex grinning, that lop sided smirk plastered on his face still. She hated him for it. She was drowning in his satin sheets as he floated cool and calm above her. Alex slid a finger against the dampness of her slit, gently tracing her folds before sliding one long index finger home. She shuddered and shivered from the simple single digit. It had been so long since anyone but herself had entered her, so long since she had felt someone elses touch. It had certainly not felt like this.

It had never felt as good as this.

She couldn't stop the moan from escaping her lips or her hips from jerking up to meet him. Alex pumped his fingers inside of her expertly, each thrust eliciting a tiny mewl from her lips and an unspoken request for more. Corinne gasped at the feel of it. One simple touch and she was nearly undone, grasping at any uncovered piece of flesh she could. He pawed her breasts with his free hand, kneading her naked skin in time with his fingers. He drug his teeth against her neck once more, that spot that he somehow already knew drove her wild.

"Jesus..." He almost whistled, low and appreciative as he pumped his finger into her. "You're so wet." He wasn't lying. She could feel her own excitement pooling out of her as Alex lapped at her throat. Corinne slid her hand down between them, nervously palming him through his boxers. His cock practically springing back to meet her hand despite the cloth covering. He felt long, impossibly hard, and enticing beneath her fingers. She stroked him through the cotton, a hand slide for each time his fingers slid back into her drenched tunnel. She could feel him unraveling beneath her simple ministrations, the damp of his precum seeping through the thin cloth as she gripped him. Alex was panting, low and steady with the rhythm of her hand, their breathing the only sound now.

"You're wearing too many clothes." It was the only thing she could focus on to keep from going mad. The fact that she was naked, wanton, and splayed beneath him while he was still trapped in the confines of his boxers. She could feel the length of him pressed hard and hot against her hand. He felt impossibly large and impossibly erect as he grunted in response to her. She willed her hands to work again, willed her clouded mind to focus as she gripped at the band of his boxers.She practically clawed them off of him then. Pulled awkwardly at the cloth prison, trying like hell to work them down the soft curve of his backside. Alex laughed, sliding his finger free of her folds and taking hold of his boxers. He slid them down his thighs at an achingly slow pace. Like a well practiced dancer keeping the suspense. He tossed them to the floor in one well practiced motion, the final piece of clothing finally shed.

She nearly gasped in shock at the sight of him. Naked and glorious perched above her expectantly. Earlier, back on set, she had promised her eyes would not drop beneath his waist line. Now she stared unabashed and unashamed at the glorious man above her. His cock sprung free and at full attention just waiting for her move.To say he was large was an understatement. He was massive. Larger than any other man she had ever been with, of that much she was sure.

"See something you like?" He chuckled, a little bit of Eric coming out to break her from her trance. Alex leaned back against his own thighs, his throbbing member on full display for her. He fisted his length idly, spreading the bead of his excitement up and down his solid length as Corinne squirmed beneath him. There was absolutely no turning back now, not that she wanted to.

"Yes." She croaked out, unable to find her voice or her thoughts as he postioned himself between her weeping thighs. She felt suddenly virginal with Alex above her. Nervous and anticipatory as he pressed the head of his thick cock against her sopping wet entrance. She snapped her eyes to his, the twinkle of his blue orbs asking all of the questions his mouth couldn't bear to. Corinne nodded her tussled red head of hair slowly, urging him on with a gentle nudge of her hips. It was all of the urging he needed, one final chaste kiss to her lips before he buried himself inside of her.

She had never understood people who claimed there had been fireworks the first time they had made love, but she understood then. It was like a burst of pure fire behind her eyes the second he was inside of her. Alex slid himself out slowly, then thrust fully back in. She could feel each delicious excruciating inch of him from the inside out. The rigid curve of his cock stretching her in ways she never had been.

"Knulla..." He gasped that word again, one she would store in her mind for later look up as he slammed his hips against hers. The bruises from earlier were blooming into large violets at each meeting of their hips. He ground himself against and into her, each pump inside, each inch of him adding to her undoing. She could feel herself slipping somehow, could feel herself unraveling. It was like someone had grabbed the frayed fiber of her being and was tugging it undone with each thrust of his hips and each plunge of his member into her.

"Alex." She gasped, grabbing at his backside again. She dug her nails into the muscled curve of his ass, pulling him further into her. He was buried to the hilt in her sopping wet womanhood and she still wanted more, "Alex please." There she was, begging again.

"Anything." He moaned, his lips crashing clumsily into hers. His hips jerked frantically as he tried in vain to appease her. His weight crushed against her chest, the sweat slick and hot between them. "I'll give you anything."

"Please." She whimpered. She was so close, so desperately close she couldn't see or think of anything but the burning need to reach her apex. She rutted against him, grinding her wet center up to meet his every thrust. Alex was dangerously close then, his thrusts frantic and out of rhythm as he tried desperately to urge her own. He slid his hand between them, his fingers finding her engorged clit in seconds. He pinched and rubbed her with his calloused fingers, his eyes locked into her own as he unwound her. Her panting matched his own, her body fully flushed with her desire as Alex ground into her.

"Cum for me." It was a demand not a request, and one she was more than willing to meet. Corinne thought she would burst from it, almost did burst from the sheer force of her climax as Alex slammed his cock into her. She felt every muscle in her body tense as the hot rush of release raced through her. She could feel herself crashing then, the entire fiber of her being fully unraveled as Alex slammed his cock into her over and over again.

"Corinne!" He practically screamed it, practically roared her name as he came. She could feel the molten hot of his release inside of her clenching muscles he pumped for the last time. "Corinne...." Softer this time, almost a whisper as he smashed his lips against her own. The kiss was soft, slow, wet and spent just like they were. He had slipped himself from inside her while she was still coming back from the edge. Alex dropped onto her then, the full weight of his body crushed against her as they finally stilled.

The room was filled with their panting. Their ragged breathing the only sound as he draped his naked body protectively over hers. She wouldn't be able to walk right tomorrow, her hips already ached and she could already feel the soft delicious sting of his having stretched her. She certainly wasn't going to be walking anytime tonight.

"Stanna." He whispered, somewhere between sleep and awake as she nuzzled into his chest. She sighed contentedly, encased in the feel of his body around hers. Never in her life had she ever felt so spent or so safe in someone's arms. It was her last thought before slipping into the open arms of sleep. How entirely safe she felt with Alex. How protected and at ease after so long on edge. And how desperately she wanted to hold onto it.


End file.
